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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113513">You and Me, We're Alright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChickenPillow/pseuds/OrangeChickenPillow'>OrangeChickenPillow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Discrimination, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Geraskier, Hurt/Comfort, Male Friendship, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, Social Issues, Swearing, Swordfighting, Talking, Unresolved Emotional Tension, developing friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:01:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChickenPillow/pseuds/OrangeChickenPillow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Geralt should have been used to the prejudice by now. He should have been used to the sideways glances, the not-so-subtle attempts to get out of his way, the remarks made just loud enough so he could hear them. Geralt should have been used to the way people treated him because he was a Witcher.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia &amp; Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You and Me, We're Alright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Content warning: implied anxiety attack, described effects of having an anxiety/panic attack (i.e. hyperventilating); mild swearing</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Geralt should have been used to the prejudice by now. He should have been used to the sideways glances, the not-so-subtle attempts to get out of his way, the remarks made just loud enough so he could hear them. Geralt should have been used to the way people treated him because he was a Witcher. </p><p>	He should have been, but he wasn’t. </p><p>	It surrounded him wherever he went, taking several forms, but always present. Sometimes it was the simple act of a woman who, upon seeing him, quickly ushered her children to the other side of the street. But more often, it was the menacing demeanors of the men as they were drawn to him, circling him like buzzards ready to devour his flesh. </p><p>	Geralt knew why they all hated him so much: because he was a Witcher. But at the same time, he desperately wondered what he had done to deserve such treatment. They didn’t know him - they only knew what he was, and he hadn’t chosen that fate. But because of it, he was forever marked as an outcast. </p><p>	His relationship with the general population of humanity was, to speak lightly of the matter, not the greatest. But not all humans were the same. </p><p>	Everywhere he went, Geralt found the occasional rare humans that didn’t care about who he was - humans that saw him simply as a living being. Sometimes they ignored him, which he most certainly didn’t mind. Even rarer were the times where a human might show him kindness or a good gesture taken in faith. </p><p>	Those moments, Geralt cherished in his heart - storing them up so he might not go mad with the weighty memories of all the bad interactions he’d had. </p><p>	These rare moments began happening more and more after the bard had joined him. </p><p>	Geralt wasn’t sure why Jaskier kept following him; he knew it wasn’t because of the songs. That might have been the initial driving force, but they had been through too much for that to be the reason anymore. </p><p>	Geralt wasn’t the best at friendships, he never had been. Probably because he’d never had many chances to try. He did have friends, and ones he was close to, but they were special. </p><p>	Jaskier was just a flamboyant bard who liked to talk and loved to sing. </p><p>	That didn’t seem so special. <br/>	But Jaskier had started to surprise Geralt, and showed no signs of stopping. The first time this happened was when the bard actually approached the stony Witcher as he sat alone in the back of a tavern. <br/>Jaskier had flaunted up to him without a whiff of fear or hesitation about him. </p><p>	Geralt had put up his gruffest front, but the bard had just… kept talking, as if they were old companions. </p><p>	The Witcher hadn’t been worried - he’d assume the bard would get bored and eventually leave him alone. </p><p>	But then Jaskier followed him out of the tavern. And even after a literal punch to the gut (which Geralt sort of felt bad for), Jaskier didn’t stop following. </p><p>	Geralt, still not really sure what was going on, had decided to just ignore the bard. He’d probably run off when his desire for “adventure” was satisfied by their first encounter with a monster.</p><p>	So when Geralt realized that, after about a week, Jaskier seemed to show no intention of parting ways, the Witcher just sort of accepted that this was his life now. </p><p>	However, the surprises hadn’t stopped there. Through many months of companionship, Geralt began to get glimpses of how great of a human Jaskier really was. Though Geralt wouldn’t admit it, he found himself growing rather fond of the bard. Sure he could be exhausting, but he was also kind and gentle and thoughtful. Geralt found that he liked having him around. </p><p>	And, much to the Witcher’s bewilderment, Jaskier seemed to like having Geralt around too. Geralt constantly wondered why this was, as he was often, both unintentionally and by accident, horribly mean to the bard. However, this didn’t seem to put a dent in Jaskier’s cheery attitude towards his new friend. </p><p>	Their relationship, to the surprise of both of them, just inexplicably worked. </p><p>	Geralt didn’t realize the full extent of the importance of his relationship with Jaskier until one particularly rough day, when the bard did something that quite possibly saved his life, and certainly made it a whole lot easier. </p><p> </p><p>	The two travellers had been wandering from village to village in hopes of finding work. Wherever they went, Jaskier performed his famous ballads for some meager coin, and Geralt asked around to see if anyone required the services of a monster hunter. The Witcher didn’t do well when he wasn’t working, and so they lived like this, going from one job to the next, always seeking out adventures. </p><p>	Jaskier didn’t mind, as it provided a great deal of content for his songs. He was never at a loss for inspiration, long as he was at his place by the Witcher’s side. </p><p>	But things had been rough as of late; Geralt was having an increasingly hard time finding work, and worse yet, the aggression towards him seemed to increase with each village they visited. Nothing awful, but just enough to get the Witcher’s blood boiling and his head aching with the miserable feeling of being constantly judged. </p><p>	All of this left him in a sour mood - one that was worse than usual. </p><p>	This was not lost to Jaskier, who tried to cheer up his friend by singing silly songs and keeping a lighthearted attitude; it was the only way Jaskier knew to help. </p><p>	But of course, this didn’t always go over well with the grumpy Witcher. Sometimes Jaskier was able to get him to laugh - or rather, his own special way of laughing, which wasn’t very obvious to anyone but the bard - but other times Geralt would keep on scowling and staring off into the distance. </p><p>Jaskier was torn between wanting to think the Witcher was just being a drama queen, and feeling genuinely worried for the man. No matter which way the bard leaned, he could not help feeling sorry for Geralt. He knew it wasn’t easy being a Witcher, and Jaskier wished for nothing more than to kick humanity in the teeth and tell it to be nicer to his friend. </p><p>Geralt’s foul mood had been increasing steadily, and one night things just got too much for the Witcher. </p><p>He was exhausted. He was desperate to find work that didn’t seem to exist. He was tired of trying so hard to make people like him when they never would. He was fed up with all the bastards that tried to pick fights with him for no reason. </p><p>And such was the case on this particular night. </p><p>Geralt and Jaskier had just arrived in a moderately sized village with a large, crowded tavern. The Witcher instantly felt uncomfortable, which Jaskier took note of. <br/>“Well, if there’s any place to find work, this is it,” the bard said optimistically, trying to cheer the other up. </p><p>Gearalt just hummed distractedly, too focused on his surroundings to pay much attention to his companion. </p><p>They entered the tavern, which was well lit by dozens of mounted candles. Geralt felt the usual shift in mood immediately. All eyes turned to stare at him. </p><p>Jaskier, not at all oblivious, waved dramatically. </p><p>No one waved back, but rather kept on staring for a moment before reluctantly returning to their meals. </p><p>Jaskier shrugged, shooting a quick glance at Geralt. The Witcher appeared visibly tense. Jaskier’s eyebrows furrowed with worry for his friend; something was definitely off about him today.  </p><p>Aiming to take hold of the situation, Jaskier decided that this time he would be the one to order them a meal. He knew what Geralt liked, anyway, and it would give the Witcher a chance to hopefully relax. </p><p>“Grab a seat?” Jaskier said in Geralt’s direction. </p><p>“Mmm,” was his reply, and then the Witcher disappeared into the crowd with a blank expression on his face. </p><p>Jaskier’s eyes lingered on him as he went, but not wanting to hold up the people waiting behind him, he hesitantly drew his gaze away to greet the bartender with a forced smile. </p><p>The bard hadn’t even gotten through his order when a loud clatter exploded towards the back of the tavern. </p><p>Jaskier instinctively hunched his shoulders, sidestepping from the bar to spin around. </p><p>The crowd had cleared, making room for four or five men to make their way through. <br/>They had headed straight for the Witcher, who had still been looking for an empty table. </p><p>The men prowled up to Geralt, hands on their swords, which were sheathed - for the moment.</p><p>One of them had given Geralt a shove, sending a metal plate careening from a nearby table. </p><p>“What do ye think yer doing?” The man, burly, filthy-looking and bald, asked slyly. </p><p>Geralt didn’t bother to look in his direction, just stared forward with hard eyes. </p><p>“Trying to find a table,” the Witcher said in an even tone.</p><p>This seemed to irritate the man, and he bounced slightly as if he were getting ready to strike. <br/>Jaskier watched with a fearful expression. </p><p>“Well, I suggest ye look in a different tavern -- nay, a different village, ye filthy beast,” the man said wickedly. It looked like he was enjoying himself.  </p><p>“I don’t want any trouble, I just want some food,” the Witcher growled, his voice low. </p><p>“Is that it? Well, ye see, ‘round here it ain’t seen as proper - yer likes dining with the rest of us.”</p><p>Geralt did look at the man then, squarely in the face, and Jaskier felt his heart sink.</p><p>There was going to be a fight.</p><p>Knowing that he had the Witcher’s attention now, the man smirked at him. </p><p>“Yer kind eats outside with the dogs,” the stranger spat. </p><p>Out of the previously quiet crowd rose a few shouts of agreement. </p><p>“Fuck,” Jaskier muttered, and began pushing his way through the crowd. </p><p>Geralt looked down at the man, who must have seen what the Witcher intended to do, because he pulled his sword from its sheath. The other men followed suit, each of them pointing their weapons menacingly at the Witcher. </p><p>Geralt unsheathed his sword as well, wasting no time. With a quick sweep of his arm, he knocked the bald man’s blade aside, then punched him square in the face. </p><p>The other men were on top of him in an instant, and Geralt had a hard time keeping them off of him. </p><p>“Geralt, G-Geralt,” Jaskier called from the crowd of onlookers, clumsily making his way towards the fight. </p><p>Hearing his name called grounded the Witcher enough for him to realize that if he killed any of these men, the rest of the crowd would surely turn on him. Geralt did not want to live up to the title of ‘butcher,’ which had been gained in a previous bloodbath that had not been his fault, but still managed to haunt him. </p><p>Geralt drew back slightly, but the rage did not leave him; he was too tired of being beaten down by humanity to stop. </p><p>When Jaskier finally reached the clearing, he caught a glimpse of his friend; Geralt, who was usually calm and collected during any physical altercations, was shaking visibly, and Jaskier knew it wasn’t because of fear. </p><p>The Witcher was mad. </p><p>Not just mad, he was furious. Jaskier had never seen him like this before, and it scared him. He wasn’t scared of Geralt, but rather scared for him. </p><p>The men, who were beginning to realize that they might have bitten off more than they could chew when they decided to challenge the Witcher, were circling him like rabid wolves deciding on their next attack. </p><p>Geralt’s chest was heaving, and his forehead was knitted together, clearly conveying his fury. His eyes were wild, darting back and forth between his assailants, and his arm muscles flexed wildly as he gripped his sword. </p><p>Jaskier knew that if someone didn’t intervene, there was going to be bloodshed. He could tell that it was only a matter of seconds before someone struck, and then there would be no stopping any of them. </p><p>“Fuck,” Jaskier said again, knowing that his mind was already made up. </p><p>Who else was going to look after the Witcher?</p><p> </p><p>The intensity of the circle was broken when another body entered, stumbling in clumsily. </p><p>Jaskier rushed forward, placing himself directly in front of Geralt. </p><p>“What the fuck are you doing,” the Witcher growled, his voice full of anger. </p><p>Jaskier looked him straight in the eye, “We need to leave. Now.”</p><p>“Back off,” Geralt snarled, pushing forward as if he was going to attack the men again. <br/>Jaskier put one hand on Geralt’s shoulder and the other in the center of his chest, leaning his body close to the Witcher to better push the larger man back.</p><p>“Geralt, this isn’t you,” He whispered fiercely as Geralt let himself be restrained. </p><p>“Let’s just leave,” the bard said softly. </p><p>He could feel Geralt’s chest rising and falling with rapid breathing, which only made him more concerned. </p><p>Then the bald man laughed harshly, shaking his head.</p><p>“That’s it. Leash yer pet, bard.”</p><p>Jaskier’s face twisted: this was not good. </p><p>Geralt’s expression grew somehow darker and more intense then it had been before, and this time he did push past Jaskier, who was no match for the large Witcher. </p><p>But the bard was not one who gave up easily. </p><p>Jaskier grabbed Geralt’s arm, holding on for dear life, which resulted in Geralt being spun back towards the bard as he tried to advance. </p><p>Standing now with opposite shoulders touching, Jaskier looked deeply at the Witcher, trying desperately to get through to him.</p><p>“C’mon Geralt. They’re not worth it,” Jaskier said slowly, his voice solemn but genuine. </p><p>Geralt searched the bard’s eyes, his eyebrows furrowed. Then he gave a low, murderous grunt before shaking Jaskier from his arm and storming out of the tavern and into the night. </p><p> </p><p>Not wanting to become the next object of the men’s abuse, Jaskier quickly followed Geralt out the door. The Witcher was nearly out of sight already, walking at a fierce pace in the direction of the woods, where they’d made camp.</p><p>Jaskier jogged after him, unsure if the Witcher was still upset, or beginning to calm down. </p><p>As soon as he caught up with him, Jaskier knew it was the former. </p><p>They were swallowed by the woods, returning to where Roach was waiting for them. The moon was full, and the silvery-blue light fell onto their heads in streams, filtering through the trees. Jaskier could see Geralt easily; the Witcher looked like a beast that was foaming at the mouth. Geralt was pacing back and forth, a growl emitting from him every so often. </p><p>Jaskier stood watching him for a moment, at a total loss for what to do. </p><p>Geralt was still breathing heavily, practically hyperventilating at this point. </p><p>Jaskier didn’t know how to help his friend. He watched him, a troubled expression twisting his features. He kept opening his mouth just to shut it again, the words dying on his lips. </p><p>Finally he managed a small, “Geralt?”</p><p>Surprisingly, the Witcher stopped pacing to turn and look at the bard. Jaskier realized that Geralt hadn’t known he was standing there. </p><p>The Witcher gave him a fleeting glance, then sat down heavily on the ground. </p><p>Timidly, Jaskier moved to join him, sitting down gently. </p><p>Geralt was still panting, and Jaskier realized this was not from the adrenaline of the fight, but something else entirely. </p><p>He turned towards his friend, looking at him carefully with wide eyes. </p><p>“Geralt? You alright?” He asked, concerned.</p><p>“Do I look alright to you,” Geralt shot back in a snappish tone. </p><p>Jaskier flinched. </p><p>Jaskier had never, ever flinched during any of their arguments before. </p><p>“Geralt, you’re starting to scare me a wee bit, and that’s no easy feat,” Jaskier said; a sentence that should have made him sound like himself. Instead, Jaskier just sounded fretful and tense.</p><p>Geralt looked at him, then buried his head in his hands and gave a low groan. </p><p>Jaskier watched his friend for a moment, hands fidgeting, trying to decide what to do. </p><p>Finally, he gave in and followed his instincts. </p><p>The bard brought his hand up and placed it firmly on Geralt’s back. The Witcher stiffened for a moment, but when the hand didn’t leave, Jaskier felt him relax under his touch. </p><p>“Just… breathe, okay,” he said gently, his voice laced with the sadness for what his friend was going through. </p><p>“Big, deep breaths,” Jaskier gestured with his hand, inhaling exaggeratingly. </p><p>Geralt shot him a sideways glare, but followed Jaskier’s example and deepened his breathing. </p><p>The bard let his own breathing fall into a slow, rhythmic tempo, hoping this would help. </p><p>It did, as Geralt, whether consciously or not, had begun to breathe in time with Jaskier, whose hand had remained on his back. </p><p>After a few minutes, Geralt sat back up. </p><p>Jaskier awkwardly removed his hand, letting it fall back into his lap. </p><p>They sat in silence for a moment, and Geralt wouldn't meet Jaskier’s eye. Still, the bard knew that whatever had taken hold of his friend was gone now. </p><p>After a few minutes, and long after Jaskier had stopped expecting any sort of explanation from the Witcher, Geralt suddenly spoke. </p><p>“Sorry,” he said, and it was the most remorseful Jaskier had ever heard him. </p><p>He looked into the Witcher’s amber eyes, and eventually those eyes looked back into his own. </p><p>“It’s alright,” Jaskier said honestly. </p><p>Then after a moment he added, “You’re just lucky I was there to… to ward off the enemies.” He gestured slightly with his hand, and didn’t sound very convinced. </p><p>Geralt exhaled a small laugh, which brought a smile to Jaskier’s face. </p><p>But when the Witcher’s face fell solemn again, Jaskier could no longer ignore his worries. </p><p>“Are you alright,” he asked for the second time that night, not bothering to hide his obvious concern. </p><p>Geralt sighed, leaning back so he was propped up on his forearms. </p><p>“I don’t know,” he said flatly.</p><p>After expecting him to go on and instead being met with silence, Jaskier, feeling a little awkward, asked, “Do you want to… talk about it, or something?”</p><p>Geralt smirked at him and took a deep, sighing breath. “Not really.”</p><p>Jaskier looked away. “Fair enough.”</p><p>But then he added, “You know you can always talk to me right? Whatever you’re feeling…” He paused, “It doesn’t have to get this bad.”</p><p>Geralt dropped his gaze to his lap, and no matter how hard he tried, Jaskier couldn’t read his expression. </p><p>They sat side by side in silence for several minutes, each of them listening to the sounds of the forest and the echoes of their thoughts. </p><p>“Thank you, Jaskier,” Geralt said suddenly, and only a little apprehensively.</p><p>Jaskier’s eyes flicked up to look at Geralt. </p><p>He found the Witcher looking back at him. </p><p>“Ah,” Jaskier brushed it off, tossing his hand. </p><p>But a smile had begun to creep onto his face, and no matter how desperately he tried to conceal it, he couldn’t.</p><p>Seeing this, the Witcher gave a lopsided smirk. </p><p>“Get that stupid grin off your face, bard,” he said, though his voice was kind. </p><p>“Well,” Jaskier started, “I can’t help it - I was just so,” he shook his shoulders in a dramatic gesture, “rattled with nerves, didn’t want you getting us kicked out of the tavern before we’d had a decent meal.”</p><p>Geralt’s face darkened a little with remorse. </p><p>“And here we are,” he said quietly. </p><p>Jaskier looked at him pointedly. </p><p>“Yes, here we are. You and me - alright. Hungry, cold, a little damp?” Jaskier tilted his head, considering it. “Yes. But alright.”</p><p>Geralt lifted his head to meet the now confident gaze of Jaskier. </p><p>The bard could see it in his eyes, that he was grateful. And that was all Jaskier needed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to leave any comments/suggestions/requests - they are more than welcome!</p><p>You can find me on tumblr @orangechickenpillow if you want to stop by and say hello :)</p><p>Thank you for reading, stay safe and well &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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